City council approved THIS over affordable housing
There’s a great piece of land across the road from Our Lady Queen of Peace School in Airdrie. It’s two-and-a-third acres in size and was just the right spot for a housing development.
Habitat for Humanity thought that it was a great spot for affordable housing, however there was some backlash from the community in opposition for the development so the organization found another piece of land elsewhere.
With the need for a housing project such as this in Airdrie, city council was comfortable in approving a request recently to rezone that 2.37-acre spot to accommodate an outdoor skating rink.
The move is an ideal one as the land is also beside the Monklands Soccer fields.
During the winter there will be a hockey rink and a pleasure rink and in the summer the area will provide extra recreation space which ties in well with the neighbouring recreation and school areas. It’s not clear what the “recreation” aspect of the space could be. Tennis courts or basketball nets could be in the works as Airdrie’s parks and rec department starts the design process.
Airdrie council had already approved funding for the outdoor rink, so all that remained was to get the area rezoned.
Other new from Airdrie Council Chambers
Council has also reviewed a zoning application from Vesta Properties and gave the stamp of approval for a very large commercial and residential development to be constructed in the south end of the city. Vesta Properties is the company that built South Point. The new development will be east of the Hillcrest neighbourhood and south of the Sierra Springs community. The commercial/retail component of this newly approved development has not yet been designed; however, the residential portion will bring 587 new homes to the south end of the city with a mix of single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums.
The big deal breaker with this development was the understanding that Vesta Properties would work closely with the City of Airdrie to ease possible traffic congestion. Vesta has promised to upgrade 40 Avenue and to provide access from the highway by constructing a temporary off-ramp with a green light from the Province of Alberta which has final say on anything related to the QEII. The province has already agreed to a temporary off-ramp at 40 Avenue.
That includes the future interchange which could happen south of the city at TWR 264 and the QEII.
Alberta Transportation is working with the City of Airdrie and Rocky View County as the right of way for a potential interchange is right on the line between the two municipalities.
Landowners are also involved in this process, and while the public was consulted mid-June during an open house at Genesis Place, the actual interchange likely won’t be built until 2046.
The interchange will be required going forward as current residents in the Sharp and Butte Hill subdivisions, zoned country residential, are already concerned that commuters are cutting through their “quiet” neighbourhoods.